I get it now. John "The Bad Seed" Howard will not repatriate David Hicks until he and George W. Bush decide that cutting and running is not such a bad thing after all, and that the time has come to cut and run over Guantanamo. By then the spin will assure us unequivocally that to protect Umeruhcans and Arsetralians, the best of all policies has always been to cut and run. And the majority of Umeruhcans and Arsetralians will agree that it has always been so.

Look at this tiny article, on page eight of today's The Age: Britain told to take back detainees:

The US is stepping up pressure on Britain to take back eight terrorism suspects held at Guantanamo Bay following the court defeat over special military panels for detainees.

The chief legal adviser to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has begun talks with British diplomats over the repatriation of the men who have residency rights in Britain. Washington is frustrated at Britain's criticism of Guantanamo Bay while it fails to help reduce numbers at the detention centre.

Notice the Yanks are "stepping up pressure" over men who only have residency rights in Britain. David Hicks is a citizen of both Britain and Australia. The Brits don't want Hicks because he is, after all, born in Australia and therefore John Howard's responsibility.

The article goes on to say:

The men's return would create a problem for the British Government. They are either asylum seekers from countries such as Algeria or long-term residents with relatives in Britain.

Clive Stafford Smith, the lawyer for five of the detainees, said: "The Government does not want to have anything to do with these people, but it will come under increasing pressure from the US to accept them back, as otherwise the Americans will argue that this is stopping them closing Guantanamo

So why hasn't the Bush administration put pressure on Little Johnny to repatriate David Hicks?

1) Unlike the British Government, John Howard and Alexander Downer have stated over and over that Guantanamo is the best thing since sliced bread was banned at Auschwitz;
2) John Howard has asked Georgie to keep Hicks until he can find a way to convict him;
3) Georgie is paying his debt to Johnny by voluntarily keeping Hicks until the bitter end.

Anyway you look at it we in Australia are dealing with a weaselly knave who deserves his own open-ended prison term for crimes against humanity. Like all tyrants before him, Howard will eventually get his karmuppance. Unfortunately, like almost all tyrants before him, it will come with a taxpayer funded villa and state protection for life. That's how it goes on this bitch of an earth.

-- Chet LaMerde